A New Addition

I love the tender mercies of the Lord! We welcome a new granddaughter, Samantha Kelly to our family. The mercies are a safe delivery and a perfect baby. But they extend further than that.

Rebecca flew out to be with Deborah around the time of the due date. But Rebecca had to work around Dan’s schedule. She arrived on Saturday and planned to take two of her children to Grandma and Grandpa’s on Monday. Deborah went to the doctors on Monday and was 5 cm dialated! Still, she wasn’t having any contractions and so decided to drive Rebecca and children the 2 hours there and 2 hours back to make the drop off. All went well.

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When she returned home, contractions started. She grabbed a bite to eat. Ian arrived home and had a quick meal. Then they headed for the hospital and arrived at about 10pm. I had called Ian’s phone, thinking Deborah might be carrying it for the trip, but there was no answer. However, Ian saw the missed message shortly after 10 and returned our call. So we were able to visit with Deborah while she was in the hospital, but before she became too uncomfortable. It was wonderful and helped me feel close to her in this important time.

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We needed to go to a teaching appointment, but left knowing when we returned we might have happy news. The road there was awesome from Tom’s point of view…. Awful from mine. After we turned off the main road, there was 22 km of dirt, mud, deep ruts, mud, pools of black mire and worse. The road would dwindle to a bike path threading through humps and hillocks that looked like you might lose a wheel in them. Tom off- roaded. He followed other’s alternate tracks. He entered uncharted territory. He had one wheel on the bike path and the other in a lake… or at the edge of a rice paddy, or climbing Mt Everest and then descending to the Grand Canyon. I was so stressed. It was absolutely the worst road I have ever…. er… um... I digress.

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When we returned home, we found lovely messages saying we were the happy grandparents of Samantha who was born about 2 hours after our phone call. The timing for all the events could not have been more perfect! So many tender mercies of the Lord! Deborah even left the hospital phone so we could call back. It has been so fun to visit with her by phone. We don’t feel so far away. And Rebecca blogged so we even have cute pictures of her.

Imagine, we visited a family in a rural area without electricity, running water, minimal sanitation and a baby born 2 days ago at home--as the closest hospital is an hour by truck over said dirt road. Yet we have the means to call around the world in split seconds and to see pictures of a baby born there minutes later. We are so blessed. And yet, the African mother is also happy. Her family is close around her. She is safe and warm and has everything she needs close at hand.

Traveling the Circuit

Friday we left early and took the three missionaries with us to Eldoret for a zone conference. Along the way we stopped at the Kakamega National Forest—one of the few remaining old growth forests of virgin timber. Apparently many of the hills around us used to be like that until the English decided tea plantations were more profitable. It was fun to walk in the forest. The guide paid for himself as he helped us avoid a migration of Army ants. Apparently if a drunk is passed out in their path, they can dispatch him to bones in two days.

Here are bandas or places you can spend the night. They are new and actually have nice beds inside. No power, yet. And the bath and shower are both in huts off in the woods.

We saw a lot of trees and plants, a few birds and some monkeys. The most spectacular are the black and white Colobus monkeys.

This strangular Fig has taken over the host tree, done it in and filled in the inner core. Sometimes they call it a drum tree as you can pound on the roots and it makes a drum sound.

We spent a while tracking a group of these Hornbills. They are actually quite large birds.

And we climbed to a look out and saw over all the forest.

We continued on to Eldoret and we stopped on the way at the orphanage that makes a tasty Gouda cheese and bought half a round. We went to dinner with the Littlefields in Eldoret and had the best Italian food we’ve eaten here. Saturday was a great Zone conference. I am always so impressed with these young missionaries! They have powerful testimonies. They love the Lord. And they are willing to spend two years of their life, at their own expense, sharing the message of peace, joy, and hope.

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We left about 4pm to drive to Busia as we needed to be there early Sunday morning. This was officially classified as a “Not Fun” drive. We had the Busia missionaries with us and that was a good thing as they mostly knew the way. However, we allowed 3 hours of daylight, and it was a 4 hour drive. And it got dark much earlier because of the storm clouds and the rain. So we had unfamiliar roads, rain, potholes, all the side traffic of people and bikes, as well as dark and glaring headlights. Through Tom’s excellent driving and the Grace of God, we made it. Pres. Taylor, his wife and 2 children were also on that road about the same time, and we arrived at the Farmview Hotel within minutes of each other.

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We had a lovely relaxed (read leisurely service) dinner with the Taylors and hit the hay. Sunday was Branch Conference for Busia. They are doing well and growing. I love the wonderful people there! Nine men received the Melchezedek Priesthood, probably doubling the number they had. Then about 3:30 we left to come back to Kisumu, where Pres. Taylor interviewed more men for advancement in the priesthood. We enjoyed visiting with the Taylors over a light dinner we fixed. It was good to be back in a familiar bed. I don’t know how the Taylors keep that kind of schedule week after week. They must be supported by angels.

Wheelchairs for Kisumu

Thursday was the day of the wheelchair turn-over. We had been working with one of our members, Bro Luaboh, to identify people who needed wheel chairs or tricycles. We had 20 tricycles that could be given away. LDS Charities assists in this way and in obtaining fresh water and in neo-natal care and disasters. Many dignitaries came to celebrate the turnover at the regional hospital.

We had been visiting with APDK—Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya-- and people had come in to be assessed. Now it was time to give them their wheelchairs. These are not sissy varieties. They are rugged—the dirt bike equivalent of wheelchairs. The tricycles have pedals as handlebars and the people use their hands to pedal the trike.

We had dignitaries give talks and all were most appreciative of the assistance from the Church. The people were also delighted with their tricycles—although some had a hard time keeping them going in a straight line. One said, “Thank you, now we no longer have to crawl to get places."

One lady had a hard time steering her trike, so Bro. Luaboh offered to "trailer" it to her home where she can practice driving it in a straight line.

Feasting on the spirit, the scenery, the food

We had a fantastic day on Wednesday. We left early to drive toward Sondu to visit Macdonald and his group of people and Kenneth and his group of people. The weather had been raining since Monday—we’ve entered the “long rains” season. So I was a bit concerned about the dirt roads, but we only needed 4 wheel drive a few times. We picked up Macdonald at the Kolweny market and he showed us to his house. First we stopped to visit his 97 year old grandmother and Tom gave her a priesthood blessing as she was not feeling well.

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Macdonald had about 12 people for us to visit with and teach. We spoke of God’s plan of happiness—where we come from, why we are here, and where we are going after this life. It brings such peace to know that God loves us and wants us to return to Him. He didn’t just place us here on earth and say, “Good luck! I hope you make it back!” Rather, he has a plan, a path, a way to return to him. If we follow it, we can have peace and hope and an assurance all will be well. Macdonald’s people were interested and asked good questions. We thought to leave about on time, but then his wife insisted we stay for “a little something” which was rice and some great tasting beans. We passed on the glasses of water.

Here is where she cooks the food. In the dry season, when the seasonal streams have dried up, they must walk about 5 miles for water.

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A funny thing. I think Macdonald must have spent a lot of time clearing the path to his house in the hopes that it could become a road for the truck. I was right. They do think if they can walk someplace, a truck can go there, too. We tried the first 100 yards, came to a tree, and had to back up. Good thing! The path wound down into a ravine and back up the other side of the mountain! But the view was spectacular! Tom said he wanted to buy land on that mountain and just look out and see.

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So we were about an hour late to Kenneth’s place. Macdonald and George, his friend accompanied us and directed us there. It was a good decision as there were several forks in the road. We thought it would be 20 km there, but they really are only 10 km apart. Kenneth’s people had already gathered in the church and were singing songs as they waited. Again, we taught God’s plan of Salvation and again they had good questions. There were about 50 people there. They translated into Lou, the native tongue, but I think many understood English.

At the end of the meeting, the choir got up and sang to us.

As we spoke, the wind picked up and rain started spattering against the tin roof. But no, we could not just leave. Again, we were invited into the house for some chapates, fresh tomatoes and onions, and a roasted chicken. All was good. I wondered about the bottled water being poured into glasses that still had their rinse water on the sides. But I remembered the verse about poison not bothering the Lord’s servants, and I believed I was so blessed. They gave us some very sweet bananas to take with us and we left just as the rain started to come down. We got pretty wet just getting to the truck. Then it slacked off for a while. We could see the dark storm clouds and the black sheet of rain in the distance as we drove home, then on both sides. Then on us.

I can’t explain the wonderful feeling that comes from sharing the gospel. It just lifts you and fills you with such joy! We felt like we had a feast of the spirit, a feast of the stomach, and a feast of the eyes as we enjoyed the magnificent scenery. It was a great day.

We had a great week. We drove to Nairobi on Tuesday. While my “eek” alarm went off too frequently for Tom’s taste, it really was a good drive. (The “eek” alarm goes off when I think he’s too close to the edge or too close to the center or veering off in a dangerous way. Sometimes swerving around potholes into oncoming traffic qualifies for the alarm sound.) No trip is complete without zebras. I just love them!

It also seems it’s impossible to take too many pictures of zebras for us as well.

It was Great to be in Nariobi. Not the city itself or the traffic, but there’s a great spirit at the Mission Office and we had a fantastic Mission Conference. Elder Turley and Elder Jensen from the Church Historical office spoke to us about the importance of record keeping. I felt guilty as my journal entries have lapsed a bit. But I have been trying to capture conversion stories so I felt a bit redeemed. We had testimonies from the arriving and departing missionaries that touched our hearts. Some quotes that impressed me:

· A Missionary is someone who leaves his family for a little while so that others can be with their families for eternity.

· Be strictly obedient. What we think of Christ determines what kind of missionary we will be.

· When we come to a meeting, we should EXPECT revelation. We should have the desire and prayer to receive revelation from the Lord about what He would have us know and do.

· Listen. Write down what Heavenly Father whispers to you. We are here to hear the messages of heaven.

· History is about remembering. When you keep a record, don’t keep it about unimportant things. Keep it about your experiences with Jesus Christ. Ponder and observe these things.

· If this isn’t a happy time, you can change it in the snap of a finger. Repentance can come instantaneously.

· There is hope for us all in Christ and the Gospel. We hold the hope of the world in our hands.

· Your calling is to be angels to God’s children to bear testimony of what you know. The millions of people around us were all there in the counsel of Heaven, willing to follow Christ. Your job is to help them remember. The Holy Spirit will help them, too.

· In our mission more than 50% of the missionaries are first generation church members—the pioneers of Africa.

We had a couples meeting that was very helpful as we discussed how we can best support and lift the church here; as always, poverty and how best to help is a concern. The consensus is to pay a generous fast offering and then refer the people to the Branch President who is inspired by God on how best to help. One person said to be very careful about loaning money because you may be digging a pit for them. Difficulties arise and they are not able to pay and then you have caused them to sin.

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Thursday we got fingerprinted and got our work permit. So we can leave and re-enter Kenya. We also get to go to the National parks at citizen rates. Hurray! We also spent much of the day at the mission office—correcting records, getting materials- including a “voice projection system” which some might call a sound system. I spoke with public affairs and we decided to create a Kisumu PA plan to help the church become more recognized here. Tom got some things fixed on the truck. All in all it was a very fulfilling time.

Friday on the way back we stopped at a lookout over The Great Rift Valley...

... and sucumbed to the lure of the shopkeepers there. This is a soapstone carving that reminded me of how connected we all are.

We picked up a few veggies and got a 5 gallon can of potatoes for 100 shillings ($1.30). We’ll need to give some away. I love these village scenes. It's so hard to capture the humanity, the color, the activity, the dust and the intertwined lives.

We made good time traveling home… except for the last stop. Something about speeding. But the chief saw Elder Fox’s name tag, and let him go with a warning.

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Saturday seemed filled with papers scattered all over the place and lists half checked off. We had two baptisms and met with the Branch Mission leader for the first time in months to discuss how we can support and strengthen these new members. I made two kinds of potato salad and egg salad as Elder and Sister Littlefield and President Kogo (of the mission presidency) were coming down from Eldoret on Sunday. We always try to feed them or else they don’t eat for the day. I helped a new sister learn how to conduct music and visited with a friend about his struggle to get his business going. I felt very depressed on Saturday. There is so much need. People struggle so and it seems there is always something to knock them down. I felt sad and incapable. Then I realized it was lack of faith. Heavenly Father knows these people. He has promised to bless them. I need more faith that he will do what he says. I need to stand back and watch for the miracles of the Lord. So I am praying for more faith and more trust in the Lord and I feel better.

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Today, Sunday, was a good day. I actually practiced some hymns so I could play them sort of well. Then the conducting member changed them all, but I still played them okay. A youth choir sang. “Sister Fox will you play for us?” What?? I played one handed. They galloped through the hymn and would have done just fine on their own. A number of men were interviewed for advancement in the priesthood. That’s very satisfying as it shows the church is growing. We really are blessed here. There are many good people, many looking for the truth, and many who are living the best they can. We are blessed to be here and see the Lord's work unfold.

Sounds of Kenya

I love Kenya! It’s so fun to listen to the sounds that make up our lives here. We have the swish of tires on gravel as the neighbor’s cars and trucks pull in. The impatient honking, and the clink of chain on the gate as the guard opens the gate. This goes on dozens of times a day… not the honking, the guard is usually pretty quick.

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The other neighbors have an elegant rooster with a broken time piece. He crows all day long. He seems to take delight in wandering on to our property to crow during sacrament meeting. Then we hear the scrush of raking leaves… but it’s the hen with her chicks scratching in our yard. I don’t mind. It cuts down on the weeds and the bugs. The chickens cackle and cluck and wander but are good about returning to their home at dusk.

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At night we hear the squeek, not of mice, but of bats as they find their meals. And we hear the scrunch of feet on gravel as our guard makes his rounds. Occasionally we hear the melody of his cell phone going off and his conversation in Swahili or “mother tongue” and we figure if we can hear him that easily, we’d better whisper.

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We learned at the beginning of our mission to listen for water: the sound of water running up stairs when someone left the tap open and city water started on again. Or of a toilet flushing continuously. Or the tap outside suddenly starting up again. Since we moved here, the water bill has dropped a great deal. We listen for the trickle of water echoing in the water tank that lets us know city water is on again. And I sometimes start in alarm when I hear the gush of water from our sink to the sewer… thinking water is running someplace where it should not. We also have the joy of the tap-tap or rattle-rattle of the rain on our tin roof. It’s only not quite so much a joy when laundry is still on the line.

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We’ve spoken of the AKK-AKK of the hamerkop or the heron. But we have the caw of pied crows, and the chirp of mouse birds that have long tails and hang from branches and lines instead of perching. We have whistles, songs, clicks, and trills of black and red birds and gray ones, and little yellow ones—most of whom refuse to come and perch close by so we can photo and identify them.

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We continue to be serenaded by the dogs in the yard behind us. They bark at dusk and a variety of other times. They howl at full moons and part moons and no moons at all. And I am sure the Lord has given me charity and I seldom think of poison. Very seldom. Almost never.

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From the street we sometimes hear the rumble of a truck and the took-took sound of the 2 cycled “tuk-tuks.” As I was trying to describe their sound, I realized where their name came from. These are 3 wheeled diesel powered golf-cart kinds of taxies that the missionaries use all the time. Close up, they are quiet loud. We hear the rumble of piki-pikis (motorcycle taxis), an occasional airplane, and the usual afternoon sounds of impending storms.

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Most days we hear the rustle of breeze through the draperies. We love the breeze! It cools things and makes the heat bearable. Sometimes the wind picks up and blows papers everywhere. Then we hear the SLAM! of doors blowing shut upstairs. Most have a block that fits in the door jam to keep the doors open even in the wind. When the wind picks up, we look for stormy weather. Some of our storms are spectacular. The mid afternoon begins with discrete, occasional rumblings. The sun is shining, but looking north you see a black line of clouds. After a time, the clouds become slate gray and the rumbling picks up. At times I may hear nearly constant booms, crashes, rumblings, and the shouts of an angry sky. Sometimes it turns into rain. Sometimes it recedes to grumbles and moves on. Sometimes you see a great flash and an amazing KA_BOOM and feel the house shake!

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I think our senses have become more attuned to sounds since we’ve arrived. We love the connection to the world that comes through our open windows. Kenya is a great place to be!

Breadfruit and beds

Friday we recuperated from Thursday's efforts. I nursed my sunburn with Young Living essential oils of Rose, Lavender, and Frankincense and by Saturday it was much improved and gone by Sunday. Here is a photo of Elder Fox working the hand pump for water at one of the wells we visited on Thursday. The lady on the right is holding a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off as a funnel to put the water into the gerry cans.

Saturday we had leadership training. It began at 10am (in theory) and we ended about 1. And then we had a baptism after that. Tom and I both spoke at the leadership training meeting. When we had a break out session, the Employment Specialist spoke with us about helping one another as we share skills and looking out for employment opportunities. There is also a cooperative association that can make micro loans and we discussed forming groups to help people become self-employed.

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Sunday was a good day for investigators. We had a good meeting. It's always a joy to feel the spirit of the Lord confirming truths. I thought we would not have much to do, but there are always things that come up. "Sister Fox will give the spiritual thought." "Will you go to this meeting for me?" "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Perhaps its the listening ear that takes the most effort.

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Today we are preparing for our trip to Nairobi. We will drive down tomorrow. Wednesday is the all Kenya Mission Conference with Elder Koelliker, Elder Turley (the historian) and Elder and Sister Jensen. We think we have our work papers and will need to be fingerprinted for those. The good part of that is we can get into the national parks at a much reduced rate. Hurray!!

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Our good friend Marcellus, the chief, came by with some breadfruit. This is the HUMONGOUS nubby big watermelon sized fruit that grows on trees here. We had an unripened one last time, but this one was ripe. He showed us how to cut it open and remove the tasty parts. There are big seeds inside and pale strings around each fruit nub. And the plant puts out a sticky residue. It doesn't give up it's fruit easily, but it's tasty. The pip in his hand is the edible part. Sorry the pictures are blurry.

I can't believe myself. Typically when we move someplace, we put the furniture into a spot and it stays there until we move. I'm not at all the kind of person who rearranges the furniture. Yet here we are this week, moving our bed around and hanging up a new mosquito net. We moved a box springs and mattress to the office, and tried just putting a mattress on the slats of the bed. The old mosquito netting was round at the top and as it reached the edges of the bed tended to cramp the sleeping accommodations there. This one hangs straight down and so should give us more room.

The problem came in hanging it. You see, the walls are cement. The ceiling is cement. The crown moulding is cement.... but the door frames and curtain top frame are wood. So we ran strings and it turned out well.